


Arthur and Merlin's Example of How Not to Have A Successful Friends with Benefits Relationship

by Emrys MK (mk_malfoy)



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Domestic, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Friends With Benefits, M/M, Pornalot, Romance, Short & Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-27
Updated: 2017-08-27
Packaged: 2018-12-20 13:56:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11922321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mk_malfoy/pseuds/Emrys%20MK
Summary: Arthur thinks he's being safe by keeping Merlin at a distance. The trouble is, the only distance being kept in this relationship is in Arthur's mind.





	Arthur and Merlin's Example of How Not to Have A Successful Friends with Benefits Relationship

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the 2017 Pornalot week three challenge: Kink link
> 
>  **Disclaimer:** Merlin characters are the property of Shine and BBC. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended

From the moment Arthur Pendragon steps off the lift of the twentieth floor at Pendragon Industries until the second he gets in his car at the end of the day, he is all business: expensive suits that cost more than most yearly salaries, the best shoes and ties money can buy, business meetings at posh five-star hotels, and conference calls with foreign businessmen shoving money at the young Pendragon as if he were a wealthy child’s trust fund. It would be a heady position for most twenty-four year olds, but Uther Pendragon’s son has been groomed from birth to take this on.

Arthur deplores every second of it.

But when he leaves the carpark, as he is doing at this very moment, Arthur shoves all of that away and becomes less of a prick (Morgana’s word, not his) and allows the stressors of the day to slide off him as he pulls into the drive of his quaint cottage that is decidedly not anywhere near as large as the home he grew up in. And he grins when he sees Merlin's car. No doubt, he has made himself at home and is curled up on the sofa, watching last night’s episode of Broadchurch.

“Hey, Arthur,” Merlin calls out from the sitting room when Arthur opens the door and throws his keys on the table. “I have ice cream if you want some, but you better hurry; it’s almost gone.” There’s a hint of mischief in his voice that elicits a chuckle.

“You better not have eaten my Phish Food ice cream, Merlin,” Arthur says halfheartedly as he makes sure his frown from the day has been removed. Merlin dislikes it when Arthur brings his troubles home; he says it isn’t fair that work has such a claim on him that it takes away his ability to relax. So, for the past week, when Arthur has arrived home he’s been all Merlin’s until he once again steps off the lift the following morning.

He enters the sitting room and can’t believe this is his life.

Merlin is wrapped in a blanket, a carton of Ben and Jerry’s in his lap. He looks at Arthur and opens his strawberry cheesecake ice cream stained lips and says hi.

It takes Arthur’s breath away and he no longer cares if he gets any ice cream. At the moment all he wants is Merlin because he knows that all of this will end all too soon. Uni begins again in a fortnight, which means Merlin will be revising day and night—it’s always been that way.

But rather than grabbing Merlin and pulling him into the bedroom, Arthur removes his suit jacket, sits beside him, and basks in the euphoric feeling when Merlin cuddles up next to him. And when Merlin offers him a spoonful of ice cream, Arthur reluctantly opens his mouth. He doesn’t care for anything strawberry-flavoured, but for Merlin he would eat every strawberry in the world if it meant making him happy. Truth be told, he would do just about anything for Merlin.

Except getting into a serious relationship with him.

“Are you okay with this, Merlin?” Arthur asks several seconds later as he takes Merlin’s socked feet and begins massaging them. “I know what you want, and you know I can’t give that to you. You said this friends-with-benefits thing was fine, but is it? I can’t imagine that it’ll satisfy you for long.”

Merlin sets his ice cream down on the coffee table and pushes himself up into a sitting position. He studies Arthur for some time before raking his fingers through Arthur’s golden fringe. “You’re wrong. I’m happy and quite satisfied, thank you,” he says cheekily, a sly grin on his face as he leans in and kisses Arthur, but he pulls away only after a few seconds. “But while we’re talking about this, I’m curious why you think this _friends-with-benefits thing_ we have going is any safer for you than a _real_ relationship.”

Arthur doesn’t like talking about this. He stands quickly from the sofa and heads to the kitchen to get his ice cream. He shrugs his shoulders, and when he returns he sits on the opposite end as Merlin but faces him and crosses his legs as he opens the carton and scoops up a spoonful, making sure to get a marshmallow. “We have sex and cuddle. I like it, Merlin, but it’s just sex. Nothing about commitment or love or that til death do us part tripe. I can’t think of anything safer. What you and me have now is so much better than where I was two years ago with Gwen. I swore when she and I broke it off that I would never allow myself to go there again. Not even for you. Sorry.” Arthur worries that he might lose Merlin. But if he does, then he does. Merlin deserves better, anyway. 

“Okay,” is Merlin’s little more than a whispered response as he crawls over and inserts himself in Arthur’s lap and accepts the offered bite of ice cream. He swallows it and promptly kisses Arthur, another of those cheeky grins on his face. 

Arthur doesn’t know what that adorable little grin is for, but at the moment he doesn’t care. He sets his carton beside Merlin’s and decides that the bedroom is where he’d rather be. He motions with his head towards the other side of the house and Merlin quickly gets off his lap and pulls Arthur up. They waste no time getting to the bed. 

But once they’re naked, they take their time. Merlin likes it slow and easy (he enjoys long, drawn out foreplay), and Arthur finds that he likes it that way now as well. Even if he does miss being pounded into hard and fast, he would miss being tender with Merlin more. They explore each other and map out one another with kisses before Arthur sinks into him. 

Yes, this friends-with-benefits thing is working well. 


End file.
